At South High in Worcester, Lunenburg athletic director offers an apology

Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Published Friday November 22, 2013 at 2:22 pm

Updated Friday November 22, 2013 at 2:43 pm

WORCESTER — Football players at South High Community School this morning got an apology and a handshake from Lunenburg Athletic Director Peter McCauliff for alleged racist remarks directed at them by Lunenburg players at two games earlier this month.

The Lunenburg team is also the focus in alleged racial graffiti discovered Nov. 15, spray-painted on the house of 13-year-old Lunenburg football player, Isaac A. Phillips, who alleges wrongdoing by teammates.

Robert F. Pezzella, school safety liaison for Worcester Public Schools, said during a meeting Wednesday between the two schools, Worcester administrators and the athletic department said they were looking for closure following a Nov. 1 varsity game in Lunenburg and a junior varsity game Nov. 4 in Worcester where Lunenburg players directed racial slurs at South High players.

Worcester recommended an apology from Lunenburg at that meeting, Mr. Pezzella said, and Lunenburg agreed.

In his apology given around 9 a.m., Mr. McCauliff told South High players he was saddened they were subjected to unacceptable behavior while participating in an activity they loved at both games. Mr. Pezzella said Mr. McCauliff said Worcester students wre subjected to "insensitive, hateful and hurtful words"

Mr. Pezzella said Mr. McCauliff's apology was "sincere and heartfelt" and he shook all the players and coaches hands afterwards – something that did not happen between players at the end of the junior varsity game Nov. 4 that was ended abruptly towards the end of the fourth quarter when a fight broke out.

There were no Lunenburg players or coaches at South today.

Worcester will play Lunenburg next football season, Mr. Pezzella said.

Mr. McCauliff agreed to return in the spring to attend a Worcester Public Schools' student-wellness seminar on diversity and tolerance — to model that program in Lunenburg schools.

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG.